Mangalore tiles

Last updated

Mangalore tile Mangalore tile.svg
Mangalore tile
Mangalore tiles, on a house in Tamil Nadu, Southern India Mangalore tiles, on a house in Tamil Nadu, Southern India.jpg
Mangalore tiles, on a house in Tamil Nadu, Southern India

Mangalore tiles (also Mangalorean tiles) are a type of roof tile native to the city of Mangalore, India. [1] A variation of the Marseilles tiles developed by the Gilardoni brothers at Altkirch, France, the tiles were first introduced to India in 1860 by German missionaries of the Basel Mission of Switzerland, who also established weaving enterprises. [2] [1] [3]

Contents

Since that time, the industry has grown in India with these red tiles in great demand throughout the country. They are exported to Myanmar, Sri Lanka, and the Far East and even as far as East Africa, the Middle East, Europe, and Australia. [4] [5] These were the only tiles recommended for government buildings in India under the British Raj. [6] [7]

Old Manglore tiles, from an old site in Karachi, Pakistan. OldManglaortile.jpg
Old Manglore tiles, from an old site in Karachi, Pakistan.

These tiles still define Mangalore's skyline and characterize its urban setting. [8] They are a popular form of roofing and are preferred over concrete due to their higher quality. [9]

Etymology

These tiles are native to Mangalore, a city in the former South Canara district on the western coast of India. Hence they were named Mangalore tiles by the tile factory manufacturers. [1]

History

Tile Factory in Feroke, India Feroke Tile factory.jpg
Tile Factory in Feroke, India

The German missionary Georg Plebst set up the first tile factory at Mangalore in 1860, after he found large deposits of clay by the banks of the Gurupura (also Phalguni) and Nethravathi (also Bantwal) rivers. [1] It was called "The CommonWealth Trust Ltd." or locally referred to as Basel Mission tile factory, and was the first ever tile factory in India, located on the banks of the Nethravathi river, near Morgan's Gate, around 100 metres (0.10 km) from Ullal bridge. [10] [8] Currently Mphasis, an HP company has been established in this area.

Several other tile factories were established in the years that followed. In 1868, the Albuquerque tile factory producing these tiles was started by Mr.Pascal Albuquerque at Panemangalore in South Canara. [7] These were the only tiles to be recommended for Government buildings in India during the British regime. [6] The Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, a World Heritage Site is also topped with these tiles due to their excellent quality and were preferred over Bombay tiles by the structure's architect Frederick William Stevens. [9]

Mangalore tile manufactured by J. H. Morgan & Sons (Mangalore) Thayyil Tharavadu roof tile manufactured by J. H. Morgan & Sons Mangalore 1868.jpg
Mangalore tile manufactured by J. H. Morgan & Sons (Mangalore)

Since the opening of the Albuquerque tile factory, Mangaloreans have been actively involved in manufacturing these red Mangalore tiles. [7] In 1878, it was followed by the Alvares tile factory established by Mr.Simon Alvares of Bombay at Mangalore. The tiles produced by the factory were in great demand throughout the Indian subcontinent and East Africa. [11] Abundant deposits of clay, plenty of firewood from the Western Ghats and cheap skilled labour helped the industry flourish. [8] By the 1900s there were around 25 tile factories situated in and around Mangalore. By 1994 around 75 tile factories were present in Mangalore. [1] As per the years 1991—1992 out of a selected 12 tile factories, 6 were owned by Hindus and the other 6 by Christians. The factories along with these tiles also manufactured materials such as ridges, limestone [6] and bricks. [12]

A Mangalore Tile from Adhyaksha Coragappa's Tile factory A Mangalore Tile from Adhyaksha Coragappa's Tile factory.jpg
A Mangalore Tile from Adhyaksha Coragappa's Tile factory

The prominent tile factories in Mangalore of the bygone era were
1) The Common Wealth Trust Ltd (Established by Basel Mission in 1860 [13] ) - This is supposed to be the first tile factory in Mangalore and thereby India.
2) A Albuquerque and Sons (Established in 1868).
3) Alvares Tile factory (Established by Simon Alvares in 1878)
4) Hammer Tiles (Established by Mahalakshmi traders in 1889).
5) Hamidiah Tile works (Established by Adhyaksha H. Koragappa(Founder of Kudroli Shree Gokarnanatheshwara Temple Mangalore) and C.Abdurahiman in 1905)
6) King George Tiles (Established in 1905).
7) JH Morgan and son.
8) Rego and sons.
9) Pioneer Tiles.
10) BK Tiles.

The Calicut Tile Co. (CTC) was the first fully mechanised roofing tile manufacturer in India. It was started in the year 1878. Besides roofing tiles, CTC also manufactures ceiling tiles, hourdees, hollow blocks, paver tiles, decorative garden tiles and terracotta products. The company is currently fully operational. The products CTC at Ferok are known and sold under the brand name Queen. They have another factory in the state of Karnataka. The products are known under the brand name King.

In 2007, the industry suffered when about 10 tile factories shut down due to scarcity of raw materials like clay, and factories struggled to find skilled and cooperative workers. [10]

Quality and Usage

House in Coimbatore district with Mangalore tiles House with Mangalore tiles.jpg
House in Coimbatore district with Mangalore tiles
These tiles define Mangalore's skyline and characterize its urban setting Mangalore tiled roof 20071228.jpg
These tiles define Mangalore's skyline and characterize its urban setting

Mangalore tiles are said to provide excellent ventilation especially during summer and are widely considered aesthetically pleasing. Some of them are especially made to be used for roofing kitchens, allowing smoke to escape, and bathrooms. Over a period of time, these tiles can become dark to black from constant exposure to soot and smoke. Clay tiles offer natural solar insulation, thereby reducing the expense on electricity for heating or cooling.

Since these clay tiles are molded under extreme heat, they are resistant to damage or destruction from fire.

Mangalore tiles, sometimes known as Calicut tiles closeup view Mangalore tiles closeup view.jpg
Mangalore tiles, sometimes known as Calicut tiles closeup view

These red colored clay tiles are quite famous and are exported to all the corners of world. They are unique and are made and available in different shapes and sizes depending on the users' need.

Clay tiles are commonly used in coastal areas and regions that experience heavy rainfall. Clay tiles for a sloping roof offer water proofing in areas where it rains quite often. Clay's corrosion resistance allows for superior longevity compared to other materials. The Mangalore tiles are generally placed inclined at forty five degrees. The tiles get their red colour from the high proportion of iron compound found in the laterite clay. [14] A tile weighs about 2 kilograms (4.4 lb) to 3 kilograms (6.6 lb). [15] These kinds of tiles are most popularly used in Canara, Goa, Kerala, and the Konkan.

Preparation

First, laterite clay is collected, placed in a mold, and precisely cut to measurement. Then the piece of clay is placed on a tile press which shapes the tile and applies the factory logo. Any extra clay is removed by hand and usually reused It is fired in a kiln, and the density of the clay tile is a function of the length of time and temperature at which it is heated.

Clay tiles are often white, yellow, orange or brown in color. However, they can be colored or styled according to one’s preference by spraying a glaze or engobe before firing in the kiln. The extreme heat of the kiln permanently bonds the color to the tile, ensuring the color does not peel or fade away over time. Once fired and glazed, it is ready, and is stored for transport/shipping. [15]

Trade, commerce and geographical spread

Tiles are exported to East Asia, Europe, Australia, Africa, and the Middle East. [4] This tile is exquisitely used for roof tiling along Malabar Coast and Konkan Coast of India. [16]

At helm of the industry the production of Mangalore tiles was prominent in Dakshina Kannada, Malabar District along Chaliyar and Quilon along Ithikkara River. [17] [18]

See also

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Giriappa 1994 , p.  61
  2. ↑ "Tracing the history and legacy of Mangalore tiles". Architectural Digest India. 22 May 2022. Retrieved 31 August 2023.
  3. ↑ Sebastian, Mrinalini (2013). "The Scholar-Missionaries of the Basel Mission in Southwest India: Language, Identity, and Knowledge in Flux". In Sharkey, Heather (ed.). Cultural Conversions: Unexpected Consequences of Christian Missionary Encounters in the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia. Syracuse: Syracuse University Press. pp. 177 within pp. 176–202. ISBN   9780815633150.
  4. 1 2 Giriappa, S. (1994). Rural Industrialisation in Backward Areas. Daya Publishing House. ISBN   978-81-7035-125-2.
  5. ↑ "Mangalore—Tiles". Hotfrog.in. Retrieved 31 January 2009.[ permanent dead link ]
  6. 1 2 3 Somerset, Bond & Wright , p.  510
  7. 1 2 3 Somerset, Bond & Wright , p.  511
  8. 1 2 3 Babu, Savitha Suresh (17 February 2007). "Tiles for style". The Hindu . Archived from the original on 10 January 2009. Retrieved 31 January 2009.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  9. 1 2 John B. Monteiro (21 June 2005). "Mangalore Tiles Crown Victoria Terminus". Daijiworld Media Pvt Ltd Mangalore . Retrieved 2 February 2009.
  10. 1 2 Belgaumkar, Govind D. (12 November 2007). "Tiles are strong, industry is brittle". The Hindu . Archived from the original on 14 November 2007. Retrieved 31 January 2009.
  11. ↑ Somerset, Bond & Wright , p.  517
  12. ↑ Giriappa 1994 , p.  62
  13. ↑ Giriappa, S. (1994). Rural Industrialisation in Backward Areas. Daya Publishing House. ISBN   9788170351252.
  14. ↑ India: Physical Environment Geography Standard (Grade) IX 2007 , p. 37
  15. 1 2 Belgaumkar, Govind D. (26 November 2005). "Have an imaginative roof over your head". The Hindu . Archived from the original on 9 May 2007. Retrieved 31 January 2009.
  16. ↑ Tile Roof Care
  17. ↑ "Regal House in Thampanoor is a picture of elegance". The Hindu. 22 January 2016. ISSN   0971-751X . Retrieved 31 August 2023.
  18. ↑ "Kerala's pioneering roof-tile company shuts down after 141 years". OnManorama. Retrieved 31 August 2023.
  19. ↑ "Marseille Tiles from Alsace". ResearchGate .

A different type of J H MORGAN roof tile found in Old Suriyani church at Chenganoor which is much older than the photos shown in the photo.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mangalore</span> City in Karnataka, India

Mangalore, officially known as Mangaluru, is a major industrial port city in the Indian state of Karnataka and on the west coast of India. It is located between the Laccadive Sea and the Western Ghats about 352 km (219 mi) west of Bangalore, the state capital, 14 km north of Karnataka–Kerala border and 297 km south of Goa. Mangalore is the state's only city to have all four modes of transport—air, road, rail and sea. The population of the urban agglomeration was 619,664 according to the 2011 national census of India. It is known for being one of the locations of the Indian strategic petroleum reserves.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Udupi district</span> District of Karnataka in India

Udupi district is an administrative subdivision in the Karnataka state of India, with the district headquarters in the city of Udupi. It is situated in the Canara old north malabar coastal region, there are seven taluks, 233 villages and 21 towns in Udupi district. The three northern tehsils of Udupi, Kundapur and Karkala, were partitioned from Dakshina Kannada district to form Udupi district on 25 August 1997. Moodabidri was officially declared as new tehsil (taluk), separated from Karkala with effect from 11 January 2018.

The Billava, Billoru, Biruveru people are an ethnic group of India. They are found traditionally in Tulu Nadu region and engaged in toddy tapping, cultivation and other activities. They have used both missionary education and Sri Narayana Guru's reform movement to upgrade themselves.

Mangalorean Catholics are an ethno-religious community of Latin Christians from the Diocese of Mangalore and the erstwhile South Canara area, by the southwestern coast of present-day Karnataka, India.

Jeppu is a locality in Mangalore city, Karnataka, India. It is situated on the southern part of Mangalore. Jeppu is on the bank of Nethravathi River. The National Highway 17 (India) passes through this locality.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of Mangalore</span>

The History of Mangalore dates back to the 3rd century BC and has been ruled by a number of rulers. In the era of modern India, the area was controlled by the Portuguese in Goa and Bombay, who lost it to Shivappa Nayaka, who in turn lost it to Hyder Ali.

Albuquerque tile factory is a tile factory at Hoige Bazaar, Bolar, Mangalore, Karnataka, India. It is the only tile factory whose tiles are recommended for Government buildings.

The culture of Mangalorean Catholics has been shaped by their Christianisation in Goa, their migrations& their captivity. They adopted elements of the local Mangalorean culture, but retained many of their Konkani customs and values. The ethnic Mangalorean houses of the older generation have spacious porticos, red oxide cemented floors, terra cotta roofs layered with the once famous Mangalore tiles. The houses are usually accompanied by their own private wells or ponds, and are normally attached to orchards of coconut trees, jackfruit trees, ice apple trees, Alphonso mango trees, areca nut trees etc.

The History of Mangalorean Catholics comprises three major eras. The first era consists of the cultural heritage shaped by Indo-Aryan migration into the Indus valley, later the migration to Govapuri and other prominent areas of the Konkan region, possibly due to a natural disaster that caused the drying up of the Sarasvati. Also, the various invasions and the political upheavals that followed in the pre-Partition eras of the northwest Indian subcontinent might be responsible for migration to Konkan in Western India. The second era was the legacy of Lusitanian culture, from the conversion of their Konkani ancestors to Roman Catholicism in the colonies of the Portuguese in Goa and Bombay, and the final era being the migration of the Roman Catholics in Goa to Mangalore and other parts of South Canara between the mid-16th and mid-18th centuries, forming a unique Mangalorean Catholic identity, and the subsequent growth and development of the community. Four centuries of living in South Canara gave these Catholics an identity of their own, distinct from Goans and Bombay East Indians.

Mangalorean Protestants are Protestants from South Canara and Coorg districts of the Indian state of Karnataka.

The architecture of Mangalorean Catholics has strong Mangalorean, Italian, and Portuguese influences.

Georg Plebst (1823-1888) was a German missionary who arrived India in 1851 and established one of the first tile making factories known as The Common Wealth Trust Ltd or locally addressed as Basel Mission tile factory in 1860, after they found large deposits of clay by the banks of the Gurupura and Nethravathi rivers. It was located near Morgan's Gate on the banks of the river Nethravathi. He left India in 1868.

The Common Wealth Trust Ltd or locally referred to as Basel Mission tile factory run by the German missionary Plebot, with an un-named Indian master-potter, was the first Mangalore tile manufacturing factory to be set up in India in 1860 on banks of the Nethravathi river near Morgan's Gate, about 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) from the Ullal bridge.

Morgan's Gate is a locality in Mangalore city of Karnataka state in India. It is situated around 4 km southeast to Hampankatta. It is known for the Basel Mission tile factory, founded in 1865. It is close to Mangaladevi Temple in Bolar. Mangalore Club, Mphasis and St. Rita's Church are the other landmarks in the area.

Alvares tile factory is a Mangalore tile factory in Mangalore. The tiles produced by this factory were in great demand throughout the Indian subcontinent and East Africa.

Participation of Mangalorean Catholics in the Indian Independence Movement recounts the community's role in the Indian Independence Movement.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roof tiles</span> Tile designed to keep out rain

Roof tiles are overlapping tiles designed mainly to keep out precipitation such as rain or snow, and are traditionally made from locally available materials such as clay or slate. Later tiles have been made from materials such as concrete, and plastic.

The production of Dutch roof tiles started in the 14th century when the use of fireproof building materials was ordained by government. At that time houses were made of wood and with straw roofing, putting whole cities at risk to destruction by fire. Many small roof tile makers set up production near rivers where both clay and transportation were available and began to produce roof tiles by hand using wooden molds to fill the newly created demand. The area near the cities Alphen aan den Rijn, Belfeld, Coutrai, Deest, Echt, Tegelen, Utrecht and Woerden were very popular.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Samuel Hebich</span>

Samuel Hebich (1803–1868) was one of the three pioneer Basel Mission missionaries to Southwestern India--Canara, Coorg, South Mahratta, Malabar, and Nilagiri. He, along with Johann Christoph Lehner and Christian Leonard Greiner commenced Basel Mission station, the first German mission station in India, at Mangalore.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Paul's Church, Mangalore</span> Church in Mangalore, India

St. Paul's Church is an Anglican church in Mangalore, India.

References

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.